COVID-19 death toll in Italy over 10 000

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy barreled past 10 000 on Saturday, a figure that made an extension of a national lockdown almost certain.

The United Arab Emirates extended on Saturday to April 5 a nightly curfew to sterilise public places to combat the coronavirus as neighbouring Qatar reported its first death from the disease.

All foreigners in Portugal with pending applications will be treated as permanent residents from Monday until at least July 1, authorities said on Saturday, to ensure migrants have access to public services during the coronavirus outbreak.

Mexico’s president on Friday urged people to stay indoors to prevent an “overwhelming” spread of coronavirus, taking his strongest stance yet against the pandemic that has killed over 27,000 worldwide and infected nearly 600,000 so far.

China's official media told people to stay on guard against the coronavirus on Saturday and restrictions on foreigners entering went into effect, as the country reported no new locally transmitted infections and a small drop in imported cases.

South Korea reported 146 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number in a week, its disease control agency said on Saturday, with the country suffering a rise in imported cases from Europe and the United States during recent days.

Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the US coronavirus crisis pleaded on Friday for more protective gear and equipment to treat waves of patients expected to overwhelm hospitals as the sum of known US infections climbed well past 100 000, with more than 1 600 dead.

Australian troops will begin on Saturday taking citizens returning from overseas to compulsory quarantine places to prevent spread of the coronavirus, as Victoria officials closed beaches on a warm autumn day amid public resistance, warning of fines.

China on Saturday reported no locally transmitted coronavirus infections for the previous day and a small reduction in new cases involving travellers from overseas, as new restrictions on the entry of foreigners kicked in.

France will extend a national lockdown until April 15 after reporting its biggest daily death toll from coronavirus, its prime minister said on Friday, and officials warned that hospitals around Paris could be overwhelmed in 48-hours.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self isolating but will still lead the government’s response to the outbreak.

Authorities in South Korea pleaded with residents on Friday to stay indoors and avoid large gatherings as new coronavirus cases hovered close to 100 per day.

Anyone caught breaking Singapore’s social distancing rules can land themselves in prison from Friday after the city-state made it an offence for a person to intentionally stand close to another person as part of its coronavirus defense.

Mainland China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus case in three days and 54 new imported cases, as Beijing ordered airlines to sharply cut international flights fearing travellers could reignite the coronavirus outbreak.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he had a “very good discussion” with US President Donald Trump over the coronavirus crisis and that the two were preparing a new initiative to combat the pandemic.

As the coronavirus pandemic’s US death toll raced past 1,000 people, hospitals and government authorities in New York, New Orleans and other hot spots grappled on Thursday with a surge in cases and a dire shortage of supplies, staff and sick beds.

Leaders of the world’s largest 20 economies will hold a videoconference chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Thursday to discuss how best to coordinate their response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has thrown the global economy into a tailspin, with output crashing and unemployment set to soar.

The Japanese government was preparing to set up a special headquarters on coronavirus as early as Thursday afternoon, a step that could set the stage for declaring a state of emergency over the outbreak, Kyodo News Agency reported, after the capital of Tokyo saw a sharp rise in cases this week.

Spain struggled to cope on Wednesday with a mounting coronavirus crisis as its death toll exceeded China's with another 738 lives lost in a single day,and a third senior government minister was diagnosed with the virus.

Mainland China reported a second consecutive day of no new local coronavirus infections as the epicentre of the epidemic Hubei province opened its borders, but imported cases rose as Beijing ramped up controls to prevent a resurgence of infections.

The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen to 463 as of Wednesday from 422 on Tuesday, the British government said, adding that more than 9 500 COVID-19 cases have now been reported in the country.

Countries that have locked down their populations to prevent the spread of coronavirus need to put a premium on finding new cases and doing everything they can "to suppress and control" the virus, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

The United Nations Secretary General has launched a two billion dollar global humanitarian response plan to fund the fight against COVID-19 in the world’s poorest countries.

Life started returning to normal on Wednesday after two months of lockdown in Hubei province, epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak, with traffic controls lifted, construction resuming and people catching buses and trains across once-shut borders.

Leaders from the Group of 20 major economies will convene a video conference on Thursday to discuss the coronavirus epidemic, the Saudi secretariat said, amid criticism that the group has been slow to respond to the global crisis.

he number of coronavirus deaths in Britain jumped on Tuesday, the first day of a national lockdown, while the government called for 250 000 volunteers for the health service and announced a temporary hospital would open in London next week.

UN chief Antonio Guterres, in a letter to the Group of 20 (G20) major economies seen by Reuters, on Tuesday called for more resources to help keep the global coronavirus pandemic from reaching "apocalyptic proportions."

Several more US governors joined the procession of states ordering millions of Americans to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, while President Trump signaled he's considering a move in the opposite direction.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Britons on Monday to stay at home to halt the spread of coronavirus, imposing curbs on everyday life without precedent in peacetime.

South Korea reported 76 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, maintaining a downward trend in new infections which raised hopes that Asia's largest outbreak outside China may be slowing.